Picket-forming machine for wire fences



No. 6|6,ll6. Patented Dec. 20, I898. W. A. KILMER. PICKET FORMINGMACHINE FOR WIRE FENCES.

lApplication filed Feb. 10, 1898.)

6 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 6l6,||6. Pa-tented Dec. 20, I898.

w. A. KILMER. PIGKET FORMING MACHINE FOB WIRE FENCES.

[Application filed Feb. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.) a sheets-sheet 2.

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No. 6l6,H6. Patented Dec. 20, I898.

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. I PIGKET FORMING MACHINE FOB WI BE FENCES.

Application filed Feb. 10, 1898.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

"-' HUM m: NORRIS PETERS c0, mmoumu. WASHINGTON. 01:4

Nu. 6l6,l|6. Patented Dec. 20, I898. W. A. KILMER.

PICKET FORMING MACHINE FUR WIRE FENCES IApplication flied Feb. 10,1898.) (No Model.) J 6 Sheets-Shem 4.-

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Nu. 6|6',l|6. Patented Dec. 20, 1898..

w. A. KILMER.

PICKET FORMING MACHINE FDR WIRE FENCES.

rApplication filed Feb. 10, 1898.)

's sheets sheet 5.

(No Model.)

No. 6l6,ll6. v Patented Dec. 20, I898.

W. A. KILMER. PICKET FORMING MACHINE FOR WIRE FENCES.

lApplication filed Feb. 10, 1898.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

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NITED' STATES PATENT Prion.

WILLIAM A. KILMER, or DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,116, dated December26, 189 8.

2 Application filed February 10, 1898. Serial No. 669,780; (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. KILMER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Des Plaines, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in aPicket- Forming Machine for Wire Fences, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in a picket-formingmachine for wire fences,which improvements are fully set forth andexplained in the following specification and claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and the letters and figures of referencethereon, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aplan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section ,of the machine,taken on line 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the machine, taken online' 1 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a vertical section throughthecenter of the reciprocating carriage. Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveView, of a part of the mechanism for reversing the drive-pulleys. Fig. 6is a detail View showing a side View of the reel and of thewire-crimping disk. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing one of thespring-plungers of the wire-crimping disk. Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof one end of the reel, showing the mechanism for moving the coils ofcrimped wire out of the way of the next incoming coil. Figs. 9, 10, and11 are detail views of a latch mechanism on the forward end of the reelfor holding the wire. in proper place while the reel is rotated. Fig. 12is a side view of the gear-wheel and its attachments for intermittentlyrotating the reel. Fig. 13 is a face view of said gear-wheel and itsattachments, also showing its shaft and a section of the pinion thereonfor engaging the rack of the reciprocating carriage and of thegear-wheel and its hub having said rack-pinion attached thereto; andFig. 14: is a view of the crimped wire, being the product of the machineand forming the vertical pickets of a wire fence, said pickets all beingformed of one continuous wire.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bed of the machine, which issupported on suitable legs, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

7 is the drive-shaft, journaled in suitable boxes on the top of the bed.Said shaft has secured on its inner end a drive-pinion 20, and has loosenear its outer end a pair of drive-pulleys 2 and 3, respectively, whichdrive said pinion intermittently in opposite directions. 5 is a slidingcone arranged loosely on said shaft between said drive-pulleys, and iscaused to slide in either direction on said shaft by means of a forkedarm 9, working in an annular groove in said cone, said forked arm beingattached to the rockshaft 4, which is connected with the reversingmechanism hereinafter described. Said drive shaft 7 has secured on it apair of clutches arranged between said dri ve-pulleys, one at the sideof each pulley, which clutches may be of any construction, (notnecessary to be shown,) but having the extending arms 6 respectively andpivotally connected with the clutch mechanism in such manner that whenthe cone 5 is moved in either direction, so as to enter between saidarms, they will be spread apart and cause the clutches to engage theinner sides of the rims of the pulleys respectively, and thus cause thesaid shaft to turn in either direction for the purpose of reciprocatingthe carriage, as will be more fully described herein.

24 is a shaft arranged across the upper side of the bed 1, parallel withshaft 7 and about the center of the machine and supported in properboxes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said shaft 24 extends far enough atone side of the machine to carry a reel formed of the heads 54. and 56,connected near their outer ends by means of cross-rods and 57, the outerend of said shaft being j ournaled in a pillow-block 58, said reel beingfor the purpose of carrying the wire WV, that is reeled thereon. Saidshaft 24 has a brake-wheel 81 secured on its inner end, provided with abrake-strap and weight 25, and has also secured thereon a drive-arm 28.It has loosely placed thereon the gear-wheels 63 and 23, which aredriven by drive-pinion 20 on drive-shaft 7 through the medium of theintermediate gear-wheels 21 and 22, the said gear-wheels 21 and 22 eachbeing secured to a short shaft journaled in a box on the upper side ofthe bed 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The hub of gear-wheel 23 has secured onits inner end a pinion 64, which meshes with a toothed rack 38, securedto a carriage 35, supported on a pair of ways 37, to which it isconnected by suitable gibs, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and onwhich said ways the said carriage is reciprocated by means of saidpinion 64. The gear-wheel 63 is provided near its periphery with a shortcross-shaft properly journaled therein and having secured on one end adog 26, and having secured on its opposite end a trip-arm 26, held inproper position by means of a coil-spring'27, as shown in Figs. 1, 2,12, and 13. Said gear-wheel 63 has hinged to its side having the saidtrip-arm a cam 29, having its outer free end held against the side ofsaid gear-wheel by means of a coil-spring 29. Said cam is for thepurpose of operating the latch 43 (shown in Figs. 1 and 4) to withdrawit from contact with the reel-head 54, so it can turn as soon as the dog26 engages the drivearm 28. In Fig. 12 the cam 29 is shown as justengaging lever 32 through the medium of a friction-roller 34 on itsouter end, which lever is connected with said latch 43 through themedium of rod 46, shaft 43, and its arm and link 47, as shown in Figs. 1and 4 particularly. Said gear-wheel 63 turns in the direction of thearrow shown in Fig. 12 one half-revolution and then turns backward onehalf revolution by means of the shiftingclutch mechanism hereinbeforedescribed. Movement of said gear-wheel in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 12 will cause cam 29 to pass under the extending end oflever 32 and move it outward from said gearwheel and cause it towithdraw latch 43 from contact with the reel, so that it will be free toturn with its shaft 24 as soon as the dog 26 comes in contact withdrive-arm 28 to carry it and shaft 24, to which it is secured, forward.The surface of cam 29'is great enough so it will hold the latch 43disengaged from the reel until the drive-arm 28 is so engaged by the dog26 and turns the reel when free from contact with said latch 43. Afterthe cam 29 has passed from under the end of lever 32 and permitted latch43 to return to its first position the dog 26 is tripped and releasedfrom its contact with drive-arm 28 by means of the trip lever or arm 26,engaging the trip 30, pivotally connected to a standard attached to thetop of bed 1, and thus cause said drive-arm 2S and its shaft 24, withthe reel secured to it, to turn one half-revolution, when the reel isarrested from further revolution by means of the latch 43 at or nearoneend and a springlatch 40 (shown in Fig. 1) near its opposite end. Thereel-head 54 is provided with laterally-extending lugs 42 and 44, (shownin Figs. 1 and 4,) that engage said latches, respectively, and hold thereel in a horizontal position while the wire-crimping disk is travelin galong on said reel-head to crimp the wire. The machine is so timed thatthe shiftingclutch mechanism will then cause gear-wheel 63 to turnbackward to its first position, and to permit it to do so said cam 29 isso formed that it will pass the outer side of the outer end of lever 32and permit it to remain stationary, while the trip 30 will turn upagainst its spring 31 when engaged by the trip-arm 26 and permit saidtrip-arm to pass, when the shifting-clutch mechanism will cause saidgear-wheel 63 to turn forward again in the direction shown by the arrowin Fig. 12 and perform another like operation, so that the gear-wheel 63and its cam, lever, and trip attachments serve simply to rotate the reelintermittently one half-revolution to take up the wire after a sectionhas been crimped. The reel has its inner head 54 formed, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and particularly in Fig. 6, with a series ofequidistant detachable forming-dies '70 along each side, over which diesthe wire Wis coiled, as shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 8, as it comes throughstraightening-rolls 61 from a reel. (Not necessary to be shown.)

35 is a reciprocating carriage having a toothed rack38 and resting onthe ways 37 and maintained on said ways by means of gibs 35', as shownin Figs. 2 and 4. Said rack is in mesh with the pinion 64 on the hub ofgear-wheel 23, and the said carriage receives its reciprocating motionfrom said gear-wheel 23 through the medium of said rack and pinion asthe said gear-wheel is turned in opposite directions by means of theshifting-clutch mechanism. Said carriage 35 is provided with a centraltransverse box 67, in which is journaled the shaft 67, said shaft havingintegral with its outer end a pinion 53, which meshes with thestationary rack 49, secured to the machine-bed shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 4. The shaft 67 of said pinion 53 is bored out through its center,in which bore is placed a shaft 65, having secured on its outer end awire crimping or bending disk 52. The inner end of shaft 65 carries abox 79, attached to said shaft by means of a set-screw 80, which entersan annular groove of said shaft 65 near its inner end, as shown in Fig.4. Said box 79 is maintained in a perpendicular position by means of astem 62, which passes through a slot in an extending arm 36, secured onthe top of the carriage 35, and said box is provided on its under sidewith a friction-roller 66. lhe shaft 65 is splined in the shaft 67, sothat it may have end movement in shaft 67, as indicated by the brokenlines in Fig. 4, caused by its friction-roller 66 coming in contactalternately with the cams 18 and 19, secured on the top of the bed 1.and shown more particularlyin Fig. 1, so that the shaft 65 reciprocateswithin shaft 67 and turns with it by reason of their spline connection,as shown in Fig. 4, such reciprocation of shaft 65 and its crimping-disk52 being for the purpose of moving said crimping-disk laterally, asshown in broken lines in Fig. 4, after it has rolled along on thereel-head 54 on the wire to crimp it over the dies 70 and passed off thesaid reel-head and permit the said crimping-disk to return at the sideof said reelhead to its opposite end, but not in contact therewith, themachine being so timed that as soon as the said crimping-disk passes offthe reel-head it is moved by means of cam 18 to one side out of the way,so the reel may turn one half-revolution, while the carriage 35 returns,and the crimping-disk is moved back in line with the reel-head by meansof IO cam 19, so that when the carriage 35 moves forward again thecrimping-disk 52 will roll along on the wire W as it lies on the dies 70of the reel-head to crimp the wire, as shown more particularly in Fig.5.

ries of equidistant recesses 68, corresponding with the conical-shapeddies 70 of the reelhead, so that as the said disk rolls along in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 5 0n the wire as it lies on said dies itwill be bent or crimped, as shown in said figure and also in Figs. 1, 3,8, andf14. The periphery of said crimping-disk is provided with a seriesof equidistant spring-plungers 69, (shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7,)arranged between the recesses 68, which plungers are for the purpose ofbearing upon the wire between the forming-dies 70 and hold it in placewhile the crimping of the wire is being done. Thereel- 0 head 54 isprovided at each end with a latch 3 5 while the reel is being turned andafter the crimping-disk has passed off the reel-head. Fig. 10 shows thesaid latch in its first position. Fig. 11 shows it as it would appearpressed backward by the crimping-disk en gaging its inclined surface andhaving carried the wire down, so that when the said crimping-disk movesoff the reel and out of contact with said latch the said latch willreturn over "the wire and hold it while the reel is being turned, andthus prevent the wire from becoming tangled. After the reel has beenturned to reverse its position and the wire has been crimped, as stated,it is necessary to move the wire laterally toward the outer end of thereel on the cross-rods and 57.

For this purpose the ends of the reel-head 54 are provided with aspringplunger 71. (Shown particularlyin Fig. 8.) Said plunger isprovided on its outer end with a friction- 5 5 roller 72 for engaging acam 50, secured to the side of the bed 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The bodyof the said plunger fits in a recess in the end of the reel-head 54 andis held in proper position by a coil-spring 73, arranged on itsextending stem 71, passing through a guide-frame. The plunger 71 isformed with a shoulder 72, and the wire is coiled on the reel-head overthe plunger 71. Immediately after the reel starts to rotate thefrictionroller of said plunger engages the cam 50,

causing the shoulder 72 of said plunger to 7 The periphery" I5 of saidcrimping-disk is provided with a semove the wire along on the cross-rods55-and 57 of the reel out of the Way of the new portion of the wire tobe crimped.

16 is a rod arranged in proper boxes so it may be reciprocated by thecarriage 35 as it engages, respectively, the set-screws 15 and 17.(Respectively shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) The heads 39 of said carriageengage said setscrews 15 and 17 alternately, and thus move said rod 16alternately in either direction. The set-screw 15 is attached to a slide13, which is connected to rod 16 and moves in a box 14. Said slide 13 ispivotally connected to the inner end of lever 12, and which is connected with the clutch mechanism hereinbefore described for reversingthe motion of the machine, so that when the carriage comes in contactalternately with the set-screws l5 and 17 the rod 16 will be moved and,through its connection with the clutch mechanism, will reverse themotion of the machine and cause the carriage to return, and thusreciprocate the carriage for the purpose set forth.

The reel-head 54 is wider at one end than at the other for the purposeof leaving alternately between the crimped portions of the wire shortand long sections, so that when used as pickets for a wire fence theymay be arranged and connected as shown in Fig. 14. As the pinion 53 ofthe carriage 35 is driven or turned by means of the stationary rack 49,on which it travels, it necessarily turns the crimping-disk 52 with it,so that it may not drag on the Wire and fail to do its work, as stated.The wire-straightening rolls 60 61 are supported on a frame 90,pivotally connected to the upper end of standard 91, so that said rollsand frame may oscillate when the reel rotates, so as not to bend thewire after it leaves the straightening-rolls.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The drive-belts B and B ondrive-pulleys 2 and 3 run constantly in opposite directions, so as toturn said pulleys in opposite directions, the carriage 35 being at theextreme left end of the machine, looking at Fig. 1,

and the crimping-disk 52 in line with the reelhead 54, so that when itmoves forward it will roll along over said reel-head on the wire W.Figs. 1, 3, and 5 show said carriage and its crimping-disk as they wouldappear when having moved about half-way from one end of the machine tothe other. To start the machine, the operator will move the handlever 12inthe proper direction to cause the proper clutch to engage the properdrive-pulley to cause the carriage to travel forward. The machine thenbecomes automatic by reason of the carriage engaging alternately theset-screws 15 and 17, attached to the bar 16, which attaches to lever 12and slide 13, and which are connected with the clutch mechanism, so thatthe carriage 35 as it reciprocates automatically operates the clutchmechanism and changes or reverses the motion of the machine toreciprocate the carriage and rotate the reel. After the crimping-disk 52has passed along over the reel-head 54 and off, so as to be free fromit, and been moved laterally out of its way, the machine is so timed asto turn the reel one half-revolution, when it is arrested by thespring-latches, so that the crimped portion of the wire has been takenup on the reel and a plain portion taken its place ready to have thecrimping-disk, which returned while the reel was being turned, pass overthe reel-head on the wire and crimp another section, as before, to forma crimped wire for use as pickets of a wire fence, the pickets being allone continuous wire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe reciprocating carriage, the wire-crimping disk carried by saidcarriage, the means for turning and shifting said disk, the means forreciprocating said carriage and for reversing the motion of the machine,the reel for carrying the wire and having its head provided with diesfitting the recesses of said crimping-disk, the means for supportingsaid reel during the wire-crimping process, and the means for rotatingsaid reel intermittently, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe reel having its head provided with the series of crimpingdies 70,the wire-crimpin g diskhavin g peripheral recesses fitting said dies andadapted to travel on the wire on said head, the means for driving andshifting said crimping-disk and for turning said reel intermittently,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofa reciprocating carriage, a crimping-disk carried by said carriage, themeans for reciprocating said disk laterally, and theintermittently-rotating reel having its head forminga track forsaidcrimping-disk, and having a series of equidistant projecting diesfitting the corresponding peripheral hollows in said disk, all arrangedto operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe reciprocating carriage 35, ways 37, hollow shaft 67 having thepinion 53 integral therewith, stationary rack 49, shaft arranged withinsaid hollow shaft and adapted to reciprocate therein and turn therewiththe wire-crim ping disk 52 secured on shaft 65 and having the peripheralrecesses 68 and spring-plungers 69, box 79 attached to shaft 65 andhaving the friction-roller 66 and stem 62, arm 36 having a slot forreceiving said stem, cams 18, 19, reel-head 54: having the series ofequidistant dies 70, and the means for reciprocating said carriage andfor intermittently rotating said reel, all-arranged to operatesubstantially as and for the. purpose set forth.

5. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe shaft 24, the reel secured on said shaft and comprising the heads54, 56 and cross-rods 55, 57, gear-wheel 23 loose on said shaft, pinion6 f seen red on the hub of said gear-wheel 23, gear-wheel 63 loose onsaid shaft, cam 29 hinged to the side of said gear-wheel 63, dog 26 andtrip-arm 26 and their shaft, and coilspring carried by said gear-wheel63, springtrip 30, 31, drive-arm 28 secured on said shaft and adapted tobealternately engaged and released by said dog, lever 32, latch 43 andthe means for connecting said lever and latch, brake-wheel 81 secured onsaid shaft 24 and its brake-strap and weight 25, and the means fordriving said gear-wheels in opposite di-' rections alternatelysubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6'. In the machine shown and described for crimping wire, thecombination of the reelhead 54:, spring-slide 71 having the shoulder 72,and having the friction-roller 72, and the cam 50, all arranged tooperate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In the machine shown and described for crimping wire, the combinationof the reelhead 54, crimping-disk 52, and the springlatch 74 and itsspring 75, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

8. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe reciprocating carriage, the wire-crimping disk carried by saidcarriage the means for shifting and driving said disk, the means forreciprocating said carriage, the reel for carrying the wire and havingits head forming a track for said disk and having its track portionprovided with dies fitting the hollows in the periphery of said disk,the means for supporting said reel during the crimping process, and themeans for intermittently rotating said reel, all arranged to operatesubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the reel-head 54provided with the dies 70, the wire-crimping disk having peripheralrecesses corresponding with said dies and adapted to travel over saidhead over the wire coiled thereon, and the means for driving andshifting said disk and for turning said reel, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

10. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe intermittently-rotating reel, having dies arranged to have the wirecoiled thereon, and the means for compressing the wire over said dies,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In the wire-crimping machine shown and described, the combination ofthe intermittently-rotating reel having dies arranged ICC to have theWire coiled thereon, the means ening rolls having their frame pivot-allyatfor holding the reel stationary While the Wire tached to a standard,substantially as and for 10 is being crimped, and the means for comthepurpose set forth. pressing and crimping the Wire over said dies, 5substantially as and for the purpose set forth. WVILLIAM KILMER' 12. Inthe Wire-crimping machine shown lVitnesses: and described, thecombination of the inter- THOS. H. HUTOHINS, mittently-rotatin g reel,and the wire-straight J. A. CARTER.

